Mercy, Redemption—and Cold Revenge

Reflecting on a compassionate day of clemency and an awful week that started with a cold-blooded murder

Our compassionate president. (Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Soon, mercy and redemption will be in exceedingly short supply in our national life. That’s why I was uplifted yesterday to learn about President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes and commute the sentences of 1,499 others who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement. “As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”

Among those receiving relief were a decorated military veteran who assists church members in poor health or are unable to perform strenuous tasks; a nurse who led emergency response for several natural disasters and vaccination efforts during the pandemic; and an addiction counselor who volunteers his time to motivate young people to make better choices and resist gang involvement. All of those pardoned committed non-violent offenses, a number of them drug-related.

This is the largest single-day act of clemency in our nation’s history. And the president said there were still more clemency petitions to review. Why do it? He said it’s “to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances.” The statement by the White House underscored that these acts of clemency make it easier for the recipients to obtain housing, jobs, education and health care—”all essential to living a healthy and productive life.”

Let’s remember this reasoning next month when a convicted felon occupies our White House again and pardons convicted criminals who participated in the violent insurrection at our nation’s Capitol. Let’s remember the notion of mercy and redemption when he claims these unrepentant felons did nothing wrong and were treated unfairly. Let’s remember this when some of these same people participate in subsequent acts of violence, empowered by this depraved, remorseless man who feeds on grievance, carnage and retribution.

And let’s also remember that this is not the first time the president used his pardon power for good. He issued a full pardon in 2022 for people convicted of simple possession of marijuana, later expanding that pardon to include other marijuana-related offenses. He also issued a full pardon earlier this year to military personnel and veterans who were convicted of an offense based on their sexual orientation.

This delivery of justice is a good reason for gratitude and relief after the terrible news that a man was murdered in cold blood at point blank range in midtown Manhattan last week, what the New York Police Department described as a "premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.” That was awful enough, but when news came out that the victim was the CEO of United Healthcare, the response by too many was layered with the ugly sense that he got what he deserved—and, in some cases, outright glee over his killing.

I can reason through this response: Yes, the American healthcare system is badly broken, with millions saddled with significant medical debt and many of those suffering bankruptcy. Worse, many thousands of Americans have lost their lives because they were denied necessary treatment by private insurance companies. This is a world of grievance, pain and death that has literally destroyed lives. The leading executive of the nation’s largest health insurance company is an ultimate target for people’s feelings of powerlessness, frustration and fury over the deadly failures of our grievously unfair system.

But, to my surprise, it became necessary to argue that no one should condone murder—that a cold-blooded killing is not a reason for joy. Both the act itself and the arrest of the alleged murderer—who has had his own health problems—has inspired excited talk about vigilante justice and even praise for the killer as a folk hero. This chilling bandwagon has included tech reporter Taylor Lorenz, who said in a widely seen interview with Piers Morgan, “I felt, along with so many other Americans, joy, unfortunately.” She went on to say that CEO Brain Thompson “murdered” tens of thousands of people as a result of his company’s policies.

I understand the instinctive, feral impulse of an eye for an eye, returning evil with evil. There have been plenty of angry comments about the horrors resulting from companies like UnitedHealthcare, which made its CEO very rich. The fact that this alleged killer is young and handsome—and white and an Ivy League graduate—has intensified the excitement about his vicious attack. The etching of the words “delay, deny, depose” on the recovered bullet casings added to the allure for some. I can tell you that after I criticized the gleeful response to this murder on social media, I received plenty of angry replies, including some not-so-flippant remarks about the need to take out the guillotines to address our ills.

This is a fraught moment in our country. The election of Trump has unleashed deep and understandable anger (mine included). The terrible dread that things are going to get a lot worse—triggered particularly by the appallingly reckless and dangerous nominations by Trump—is stirring a boiling cauldron.

We have reason to worry that it will boil over, and not just among the MAGA crowd. The anger over Kamala Harris’ loss by those who voted for her will not dissipate. (My innocent online question about why the VP has been so silent in this time of need triggered a flood of outrage attacking me for daring to question her.) Pardoning Jan. 6 convicts, initiating deportations, cutting government programs that help working people, passing tax cuts to further enrich the wealthiest among us—all of this will further intensify the feeling the country has slipped off its axis and the self-serving oligarchs are determined to steal what we’ve devoted our lives to build. Talk by billionaires like Vivek Ramaswamy that his “government efficiency” co-chair Elon Musk taking “a chainsaw” to cutting people and programs is “going to be a lot of fun” surely exacerbates the danger.

While I hope most Americans will channel their anger productively into opposition that can limit the inevitable damage and suffering from this hostile takeover—supporting civil rights groups, supporting immigrant groups, demanding your elected officials to speak out and act, joining in demonstrations of resistance—the air has become awfully, terribly chilly. Conversations—not just between Democrats and Republicans but also amongst Democrats—have gotten harder, colder, meaner, angrier. And the toleration and even celebration of the murder of a hated corporate executive—not him personally, but what he represents—portends more bloodlust and dystopian outrage.

It’s our challenge in this moment to remember the need for basic human values, not the least of which is the preservation of life. The inauguration on Jan. 20—ending the presidency of a man who in words and deeds expresses the need for mercy and redemption—demands fierce opposition. But we still have the possibility to pull back from widespread violence leading to an increasingly cruel and unlivable society. That’s not just up to those in power: It’s up to each of us to decide how we want to live with each other and navigate this treacherous moment.

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